Fluid-testing device



AGENT May 12, 1959 1 c; VINCENT FLUID-TESTING DEVICE Filed June 14. 1955 May 12, 1959 L. c. VINCENT FLUID-TESTING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1955 INVENTORI LO UIS-CLAUDE VINCENT W WASI-:NT

May 12, 1959 L. c. VINCENT FLUID-TESTING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 14. 1955A INVENTom LOUIS-CLAUDE VINCENT M AGENT United 513168 Patent" of fifty percent to George A. Rnbissow, New York,

Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,381 7 Claims. (Cl. 324-30) My invention relates to a device for the testing of uids, notably (but .not exclusively) of body uids such as blood, urine, spinal fluid and the like.

A11 object of the invention is to provide a device adapted for quickly and `dependably determining, with the aid of apparatus known per se, the acidity (pI-1), the oxidation-reduction potential (rH2 or rO2) and the electronic resistance of any liquid, semi-liquid, solution or gel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for determining, on the basis of the various measurements set forth above, the state of health of the donor of the tested uid.

An important feature of my invention resides in the provision of a syringe-like receptacle comprising a plurality of electrodes adapted to contact the uid to be tested under conditions excluding the atmospheric air, in combination with means for maintaining a uniform temperature in the receptacle.

The invention will he described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic axial section of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing a partial modification;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a further modification; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there has been shown a syringe, generally designated 1, comprising a female part or cylinder 2 and a male part or piston 8 telescoped together. The lower extremity of part 2 is traversed by a central channel 4 which serves to aspirate the duid to be tested when a partial vacuum is created in the cylinder by the upward displacement of piston 8. An electrolyte permeable plug 3, e.g. of cork, wood or other semi-permeable material, is used to close the channel 4 after the uid has been introduced into the central chamber 30 of syringe 1.

Removably inserted in the lower part of piston 8 is a glass electrode 9 making contact with the fluid in chamber 30. imbedded in the walls of cylinder 2, flush with its inner surface, are three electrodes 5, 6 and 7. Each of these electrodes is connected to an external terminal engaged by a respective contact member 23, 24, 25 when the syringe is operatively positioned in a housing 16, the latter being provided with an elastic gasket 17 affording a frictional and air-tight fit between the housing and the cylinder 2. Gasket 17 is provided with an indentation (not shown) receiving an outward projection on cylinder 2, a similar inward projection thereon mating with a recess 14 on piston 8 to insure invariable relative angular alignment between the elements 2, 8 and 16. A flange 18 on cylinder 2 serves as an abutment for gasket 17.

Glass electrode 9 is filled with a suitable electrolytic solution into which dips a terminal member 10 removably 2,886,771` Patented May 12, 1959 ice inserted into the electrode from above; a lead 12 extends from terminal 10 through a plug 11 toward a contact 13 which is engaged by a stationary spring member 26 upon correct insertion of syringe 1 into housing 16. The housing as well as the projecting part of the syringe are enclosed in a thermally insulating envelope 27.

A calomel electrode 22 is immersed in a solution 21 of potassium chloride which is ionically connected with the fluid in chamber 30 through the semi-permeable plug 3. A pH-meter 31 is connected between electrode 22 and contact member 26. A resistance meter 32 is connected between contact members 23, 24 of electrodes 5 and 6. Electrode 7, which is of a type whose potential is substantially insensitive to the concentration of hydrogen ions (e.g` a platinum electrode) and which may be described as ionically inert, serves to indicate the gidation-reduction potential by means of an rHz-meter Means for maintaining a constant temperature within housing 16, preferably of 37 C., have been provided t. in the form of a resistance heater, a thermostatically controlled governor and a Ventilating system schematically indicated at 19, 20 and 34, respectively.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the female part 2a of the syringe has been modied to permit the direct flow of blood or other fluids through the chamber 30a. This chamber has now been provided with an inlet 35 and an outlet 36 to which rubber tubes 28, 29 are shown attached; these tubes may form couplings between the syringe and a pair of hypodermic needles 37, 38 serving for the circulation of blood in an auto-transfusion circuit. Electrodes 5 and 6 have been shifted toward the junction of chamber 30a with outlet 36. The remaining elements are substantially identical with those of Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a syringe 101 comprising a cylinder 107, a head 102 provided with a nozzle adapted to receive a hypodermic needle 111, a neck 112 and an intermediate block 113; members 102, 112, 113 and 107 are assembled together by screws 109 and are traversed by a central channel 114 communicating with the interior of cylinder 107 within which a plunger 108 is displaceable by means of a knob 100 to draw in the fluid passing through needle 111.

A platinum electrode 103 is secured to head 102 and is detachable therefrom for the removal of hydrogen bubbles; this electrode serves for measuring the rHz in a circuit extending to a glass electrode 115. The electronic resistivity of the uid in channel 114 is measured by two electrodes 10401, 104b projecting from neck 112. The pH of the iluid is measured by glass electrode 115 and by a calomel electrode 116 connected via microcapillary passage 106 with channel 114.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated but that modifications and adaptations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

1. A device for testing body iluids, comprising a housing forming a chamber, feed means for introducing a fluid to be tested into said chamber, a glass electrode and an ionically inert electrode in contact with said lluid in said chamber, a reference electrode, ionically permeable means forming a microcapillary passage between said reference electrode and said chamber, a pH-rneter, an rH2- meter, and circuit means connecting said pH-meter between said glass electrode and said reference electrode and further connecting said rHZ-meter between said glass electrode and said inert electrode in a circuit including both of said meters and said microcapillary passage in series.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a reservoir containing an electrolytic solution, said housing being provided with an extremity immersed in said solution and with a channel extending from said chamber to thc tip of said extremity, said ionically permeable means comprising plug means at said tip closing said channel, said reference electrode being immersed in said solution.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a substantially air-tight envelope surroundingsaid housing and temperature-stabilizing means in said envelope.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said housing is removably inserted in said envelope, further comprising connector means including at least two contacts in said envelope and cooperating connector means including at least two terminals on said housing mounted for conductive engagement with said contacts, respectively, ina predetermined relative position of said housing and said envelope, said terminals being respectively connected 'to saidv glass electrode and to said inert electrode, said meters being connected to said glass electrode and tosaid inert electrode by way of said terminals and said contacts.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein` the iirstmentioned connector means includestwo additional contacts and said co-operating connector means includes two additional terminals mounted for respective conductive engagement, said chamber being also provided with a pair of spaced-apart electrodes in contact with said uid, further comprising resistance-measuring means con nected across said additional contacts.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said housing is provided with an inlet channel and an outlet channel for said chamber, said spaced-apart electrodes facing each other across one of said channels.

7. A device according to claim 6, further comprising coupling meansfor connecting a hypodermic needle to each of said channels.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,518,211 Maue Dec. 9, 1924 2,260,840 Rowe Oct. 28, 1941 2,540,425 Byrurn Feb. 6, 1951 2,674,719 Williams Apr. 6, 1954;

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,070,566 France Feb. 24, 1954I 725,586` Great Britain Mar. 9, 1955 

